Almond-crusted Halibut With Beurre Blanc

Total Time: 23 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/3 cup dry wine
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons shallots
• 1 sprig thyme, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 5/8 cup unsalted butter, cold cut into 10 pieces
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped fresh
• fresh lemon juice
• 36 ounces halibut fillets (each about 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fine fresh breadcrumb
• 2/3 cup almonds, finely chopped blanched
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly

Recipe

• 1 for beurre blanc: in a small heavy saucepan boil wine, vinegar, shallot, thyme, bay leaf and pepper to taste until liquid is evaporated.
• 2 add crème fraîche and boil until reduced by half.
• 3 reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, lifting pan off heat occasionally to cool mixture and adding each new piece before previous one has melted completely. (do not allow sauce to simmer; it should not get hot enough to separate.)
• 4 strain sauce through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl and add chives, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
• 5 keep beurre blanc warm by setting bowl in a larger pan of very warm water.
• 6 for the halibut: preheat broiler.
• 7 pat halibut fillets dry and season with salt and pepper.
• 8 in a large non-stick skillet heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté fillets in 2 batches 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and just cooked through.
• 9 transfer fillets as cooked with a slotted spatula to a baking sheet and cool 5 minutes.
• 10 in a small bowl with a fork stir together breadcrumbs, almonds and remaining tablespoon butter.
• 11 brush tops of fillets with egg and spread with almond mixture.
• 12 broil fillets about 3 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned.
• 13 arrange a fillet on each of 6 plates and spoon beurre blanc around it.